EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND MODELS OF SCHOOL MANAGEMENT WITH REGARD TO GLOBAL TRENDS AND THE ROLE OF COMPETENCES IN SCHOOL PRINCIPALS

The globalization of the economy means the increasing division of labour, the increasing competition, the changes in the employment structure and the changes in the required knowledge and skills. In the terms of globalization, changes in the context (economy, politics, science, culture) of education are dependent on changes in the international context. The themes of this paper are knowledge as the most valuable product of the global economy of the 21st century and the managing of schools as the primary educational institutions. The main thesis of this paper is to present the current level and quality of management of Croatian schools tested through the competences of school principals in the Croatian educational system. For the educational management to achieve its potential it is necessary to stimulate the human resources through internal communication within the school institution and to create the stimulating work environment. The results of the research, which involved 55 primary school principals of the Brod-Posavina, Osijek-Baranja and Vukovar-Srijem County, are presented in this paper. The results point to the complexity and difficulty of the leading positions in the educational institutions of the Republic of Croatia, which are necessary to be systematically revised by focusing on and emphasizing the modern models of school management.